]]>Whether it’s software development or project management, leading an agile team is not an easy task at all. It’s hard to focus on work while jumping from your daily scrum to the next sprint. Things can anytime go haywire if you don’t have the right agile tools in your arsenal. That’s why we are going to discuss 11 superb agile tools for software teams to help them respond to changes quickly and effectively.

Here are 11 must-have agile tools that help software teams to collaborate better:

Agile Tools

If you’re looking for an all-in-one project management software to be used by agile teams or remote teams, ProofHub is the answer. ProofHub lets you plan, organize, collaborate, and deliver agile projects without much effort. You can share ideas, create documents, start discussions with this collaborative software.

Hansoft is a perfect agile planning tool to develop speed, power, and get valuable insights. It acts as a single platform to do all the decision-making and collaborate at various levels such as project, program and portfolio. Hansoft can easily take care of dispersed teams, changing goals, and tight schedules.

JIRA is a light web-based tool for task and issue-tracking. Apart from providing some kickass features, JIRA is known to offer a number of great plugins that can take your agile development a notch higher. It offers advanced reporting features such as cumulative flow diagram, burnout charts, and sprint reports to indicate the overall progress.

As an agile project management software, the only goal of Clickup is to move quickly and easily. Whether you’re a developer, manager, or anyone getting things done — there’s a view for you as it comes with different views for different purpose. Each project can have its own personalized set of statuses that can be edited, reordered, and colored.

With LeanKit, one can visualize his team’s work as it flows through your process making way for successful project delivery. The kanban board in LeanKit uses cards to represent work visualize work. Moreover, there are instant status updates are visible to both in-house team members and remote workers. It increases accountability and efficiency by streamlining and centralizing communication for all.

Why LeanKit:

Continuous improvement and innovation

Reduce the risk of misunderstandings and delays with built-in collaboration features

Hygger is an agile project management software designed to help you do the work that matters. You can establish specific and measurable goals for clear and effortless progress tracking. It is a perfect tool for software development, product management, designing teams to come together and deliver projects seamlessly.

If you’re looking for state-of-the-art project management tool, then look no further, ActiveCollab is your next logical step towards better project workflow. It is an intuitive and affordable solution that makes task management and document management a breeze. With plenty of neat add-ons, it’s a one-stop solution for all your business needs.

Why ActiveCollab:

Fantastic budgeting and reporting features

Organize tasks into lists and filter them by people, labels, or due dates

Pivotal Tracker is one of those agile tools that keep your team on the rails. In this robust tool, you get a shared view of team priorities, a process that fosters collaboration, and dynamic tools that analyze progress. Thus, it acts as a platform that let teams to deliver more frequently and consistently. Get more work done more often with Pivotal Tracker.

Trello is quite a popular app for organizing and prioritizing tasks and projects. It comes with boards, lists, and cards that helps you collaborate and get more work done. Due to the ease it and the visual treat it
offers to users, it is already being used by many Fortune 500 companies and leading startups in the world.

Taiga is a project management platform for agile developers and designers who want a simple tool that makes work faster, easier, and smarter. Kanban cards in Taiga are like an index card where you can post important project details.

]]>https://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/agile-tools-software-teams/feed/0Gig economy: statistics, facts & main playershttps://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/gig-economy/
https://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/gig-economy/#commentsTue, 15 Jan 2019 10:24:19 +0000https://apiumhub.com/?p=61789Whether you like it or not, the labor landscape has shifted. Over the last few years the idea of working […]

]]>Whether you like it or not, the labor landscape has shifted. Over the last few years the idea of working until retirement at the same company, staying in the office 8 hours a day is gone. We’re living in a time when companies are rewarded when they disrupt old ways to create new models that drive success. One of the biggest trends in this disruption culture is gig economy, it helps to match the talent pool gap and get on-demand professionals in an easy and efficient way. The gig economy is truly revolutionizing the worldwide economy and the way we think about employment. According to Peter Miscovich, Managing Director, Strategy + Innovation, JLL Consulting in New York, by 2020 gig workers will comprise half the workforce and as much as 80% by 2030.

What is a gig economy?

A gig economy is a market system in which temporary positions are common and organizations contract with independent workers for short-term engagements. In the gig economy, instead of a regular wage, workers get paid for the “gigs” they do, such as food delivery or a car journey. Proponents of the gig economy claim that people can benefit from flexible hours, with control over how much time they can work as they juggle other priorities in their lives. Another real advantage of the gig economy is that workers can use it on a temporary basis when they face shortfalls in income from their primary employment, or when they experience unexpected expenditures. Variety in work is another appealing benefit for gig workers; whether in the types of people they meet or the kind of work they do. They never live the same day twice. For people who don’t enjoy the sometimes repetitive nature of long-term jobs, routine, this can be a real positive.
At the same time businesses save resources in terms of benefits, office space and training, they have the ability to contract with experts for specific projects who might be too high-priced to maintain on staff. Also, large and mid-size companies use gig workers to meet seasonal demands.

Gig economy statistics & facts

According to a 2018 study, Gen X-ers are more likely to rely exclusively on gig work for income. Baby boomers usually have high degrees and are retired, they use on-demand service platforms to make money they may not be getting in retirement. Millennials use it as a side gig way to pay off debt. Both millennials and boomers say they enjoy the flexibility offered by gig economy jobs.

A combination of surveys from Intuit and LinkedIn tell us why people are in favor of gig economy:

Main Gig economy players

If there is one company that has come to represent the gig economy, it is Uber. The first one that pops out in your mind, right? It lets you use your personal vehicle to start earning money through its Uber Partners app. This is a very flexible platform that allows you to choose when and where you drive and set your own schedule.

Turo has taken a different approach to use your vehicle to earn money, you rent it. Based on the market value, location, time of year, and other data, it will dynamically set your car’s rental price. You get 65 to 85 percent of the trip price, depending on the protection plan you select. And the company screens travelers before they get in your car to provide an added level of security.

OneFineStay improves on Airbnb by preparing your home just like a hotel with clean linens and more. This service caters to high-end customers and it ensures the service by greeting guest when they arrive, checking identities, key handling and insurance.

A parking space is a premium product in many major cities across the country. ParkingPanda is an app that brings owners and customers together seamlessly. You can post a free listing with the app to start earning cash whenever anyone books your space.

As a Postmates worker, you will be delivering dry cleaning, grocery, food from restaurants, coffee from Starbucks and more. You can use your car, motorcycle, truck or even a bicycle to make the deliveries. Delivery people make 80 percent of delivery fee and 100 percent of tips, with $10 referrals for users and employees.

You can now deliver packages from Amazon and make $18-$25 per hour. Amazon Flex lets you set your own schedule using the company’s app and make as much or little deliveries as you want seven days a week.

HelloTech gives experts in the tech industry a platform to provide services for individuals in their homes and businesses. Computer repair and tech support, music, entertainment, games, smart homes, networking, Internet and other services are available.

The Dolly service uses people that have vehicles for moving, or movers to do the heavy lifting if they don’t have a vehicle. Movers can choose the jobs they want to do and can earn on average $30 per hour or higher. Price is set up front and movers get paid weekly.

If you are a chef and want to host meals and you are a foodie looking for great chef, Feastly is a platform that brings them both together. The company says it has culinary talents that are great home cooks and Michelin starred chefs.

Handy is the gig economy app for cleaners and handymen. Clients who want assistance around the house will connect with you using the web or an iOS or Android device, and you can start earning up to $22/hour as a cleaner or $45/hour as a handyman.

Rover is a gig economy app that gives you the opportunity to spend time with four-legged friends and earn cash. You can be a pet sitter in your own home, a dog walker, or a house sitter, or you can provide drop-in visits while the pet owner is away.

Wingz is the gig economy app that helps you become riders’ favorite driver. This peer-to-peer marketplace helps personal drivers earn extra cash by driving full or part-time, managing your own schedule, and accepting only the rides you want to provide.

I hope you found this article useful! If you would like to add other Gig companies that are not listed here, feel free to mention them in the comments section below!

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]]>https://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/gig-economy/feed/15 AI Trends that will change the future of sales in 2019https://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/ai-trends-sales/
https://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/ai-trends-sales/#commentsThu, 10 Jan 2019 09:41:56 +0000https://apiumhub.com/?p=61738Machine learning and AI-powered projects have been talked of the town for a long time now. Technology keeps moving ahead, […]

]]>Machine learning and AI-powered projects have been talked of the town for a long time now. Technology keeps moving ahead, and AI trends are no different. And with organizations incorporating AI to enhance their processes, the hype does not seem to settle for now.

If you ever browsed through Netflix to check out what movies to watch, an AI algorithm was sure running in the background. If Amazon recommended you products that you ended up buying eventually, major credit goes to Artificial Intelligence. This is all the AutoMagic powered for you by Artificial Intelligence.

Tech-savvy Marketers are harnessing the potential of AI to enable augmented revenue with scalable growth and of course, personalized customer experiences. You can now target your audience using carefully crafted messages, curated recommendations, and anything you can imagine without having to put in too many efforts. How can sales be left behind? Thanks to the most incredible combination of all times- AI and sales.

Integrating AI in Sales has open doorways for possibilities that ensure improved marketing and sales alignment. The healthy pipeline, in turn, provides terrific revenue. Looking at the popularity and unsettling nature of this combination, in this article, we’ll explore how will this trend tighten its grip in the year 2019.

So, without wasting any more time, let’s get started!

#1. Improved Analytics

Who would not love the convenience? We all do, and so do our customers. And hence, the key to winning their hearts lies in leveraging better analytics. That typically involves the process of implementing test cases, measuring the results, and analyzing them to render forecasts.

While this trend tends to organize the analytics significantly, it is something to watch out in the upcoming years as well. Savvy marketers worldwide are using artificial intelligence to pave ways for more rewarding human interactions. Platforms now leverage this technology to collect and aggregate marketing metrics and draw meaningful analytics out of the data.

This overall implementation enables creative solutions and meaningful engagements while building an ecosystem of aligned sales and marketing.

#2. Voice-enabled Powerful Applications

From offering recommendations to the users to helping them with a quick resolution to queries, AI-powered ChatBot assistants have made a long-lasting impression on the salesforce.

Not only this, Alexa’s voice assistance and Google’s extensive range of the gadgets are really winning battles, and it becomes a non-debatable motion that the giants will certainly keep refining them.

Combining AI’s potential in both the ways has given a boost to the salesforce processes.

Imagine being a marketer who is driving. A customer shoots an email regarding one of the products you are selling. While you are driving, you cannot really cater to him/ her at the moment. However, the introduction of voice assistants has changed the game forever. Not only do they allow you to use your voice as passwords, but also send a timely reply to the customers whenever you need. What else? The latest generation of AI-powered voice assistants can genuinely support you by analyzing the customer’s mood to help you deal with them the way you should be.

#3. CRM: Lead Generation and Scoring

Losing time amidst leads with no growth potentials is the worst someone can do to their business. They can severely decimate the companies, eventually causing salesforce teams to miss their target and motivation.

Integrating AI into the system gets you sorted at this end. With useful machine learning tools, they analyze the types of leads and then offer predictive lead scoring. With an increase in data comes highly accurate predictions and hence the benefits. Helping the salesforce professionals to prioritize leads, AI-powered CRM supports to ensure that they spend their precious time only on the leads that are more likely to convert. This ultimately benefits the organizations by increasing the sales par excellence.

#4. Enhanced Sales Forecasting

For many years now, sales forecasting has been an element of human intelligence. And so, emotions and hunches had their way to influence the entire quarter. This is the reason that bringing AI into picture really makes it amazing to forecast sales accurately. It helps you dig deeper into the insights simultaneously while growing its data and applying it to provide valuable results. What makes it more exciting is, these results are not driven by anything but a data-oriented rationale. While businesses are truly leveraging the power of data science to forecast accurate measurements and lever the growth, the trend seems to reach new heights of innovation in the upcoming years.

#5. Personalize and Scale Messaging with valuable Insights

Well, this is the place ruled by Google. Probably no one in the world, I repeat NO ONE, ever leverages AI this effectively to render the users with the experience they always need.

With its efficient Machine Learning program, Rankbrain, Google constantly monitors user engagement at every time of the day to offer them better search results, no matter what the search query is.

For instance, if you are into creating ERP solutions, data-driven insights into your target market is only one Google search away. Search for the corresponding terms and take note of the results.

Is the displayed result a definition?

Is it a product page?

What is displayed under the related searches section?

Well, this is where you’ll get critical statistics about your audience. Imagine if this is so fruitful for you, how drastically it will transform your salesforce for better.

You can easily apply this technology to provide your customers with more personalized content, which will result in help you give them a better experience and enhance the engagement.

Being into infancy, it is expected of this realm of AI to venture into a new era of innovation.

Key Takeaway: AI trends

AI trends are really proving a game changer for the marketers. With e-commerce being one of the early adopters, most of the industries have now automated their processes using AI. While there is still some time to get on-board for the competition, savvy personnel can truly establish themselves as great players by incorporating the change on time. Improved quality of leads, content delivery spectrum, messaging, analytics, strategy, you name it. AI trends have the potential to offer excellent opportunities to augment growth.

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]]>https://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/ai-trends-sales/feed/1Accountant job offer in Barcelonahttps://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/accountant-job-offer-barcelona/
https://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/accountant-job-offer-barcelona/#respondTue, 08 Jan 2019 14:40:06 +0000https://apiumhub.com/?p=61692We are looking for an Accountant to be part of Apiumhub Team. The accountant will operate in a high-energy growth […]

]]>We are looking for an Accountant to be part of Apiumhub Team. The accountant will operate in a high-energy growth environment, and take on increasing levels of responsibility. He or she is a highly organized person who learns quickly, embraces technology and works effectively in fast-paced environments.

The accountant will ensure an accurate accounting process in the company and requires the following skills:

Desired skills and experience of an Accountant

Business Administration or Finance/accounting degree

1+ experience as an accountant

Fluent in English and Spanish

Attention to detail is crucial for an Accountant

Decision-making skills

Excellent communication skills

Organizational skills; set priorities and follow-up

Ability to handle multiple tasks and meet tight deadlines

Excel Advanced User

Quick learner

High analytical skills

Proactive attitude is essential

Accountant Job Responsibilities

Prepare Financial Closings

Process improvement

Cash Flow management

Analyze and optimize expenses

Lead the accounts payable and receivable processes.

Preparation of financial information for audit reviews

Preparation and register of invoices

VAT preparation and other taxes

Run Billing reports

Monthly, Quarterly & Annual reports

Follow-up purchase invoice collection and registration

Automation of processes within Finance/Accounting department

Control critical accounting policies

Prepare budget and Forecast process

Benefits

Permanent contract

Flexible working hours

Work with talented, committed and supportive teammates

Healthy snacks

Unlimited coffee

Office right in the center of Barcelona

Opened terrace

International environment

Apply now for an accountant job offer

If you are interested in our accountant job offer, click here and apply now! We look forward to knowing more about you!

]]>https://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/accountant-job-offer-barcelona/feed/0Facial Recognition System – the new future of Biometrics Identificationhttps://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/facial-recognition-biometrics-identification/
https://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/facial-recognition-biometrics-identification/#commentsTue, 08 Jan 2019 09:27:39 +0000https://apiumhub.com/?p=61683Year 2017, at KFC in Hangzhou, China, a customer comes to buy food, look at the camera and in order […]

]]>Year 2017, at KFC in Hangzhou, China, a customer comes to buy food, look at the camera and in order to pay just smiles and walk away happy with the order. No, it’s not a scene from some movie. It’s Alibaba’s “Smile to Pay” service, Facial Recognition, launched by Ant Financial affiliate.

Year 2018, an imposter held down at a Washington, DC Airport for stealing someone’s identity and carrying a fake French Passport.

Now, the correlation between these two scenarios lies between the question: How? And the answer is: Biometrics Facial Recognition. For most of the consumers, the word/technology doesn’t seem alien, thanks to the Tech Giant, Apple who released its first ever iPhone X series with Face ID technology, that uses your face as a measure of authentication and unlocks the phone. Similar to that, Alibaba’s ambitious project “Smile to Pay” allows customer to sign up in their application Alipay, enable the facial recognition and voila, a 3D camera at the Point-Of-Sale store will capture your picture and the payment is done with your linked account. All it needs to do is authenticate the person by their biometrics face detection technology and for more secure operation, a consumer can always enter the registered phone number as a two-way authentication process.

Overview of the Facial Recognition Technology

Every human has unique facial points, fingerprints, voice and retina patterns which can be used as an authentication purpose in the most secure way. Any biometrics system operates on two basic principles; Identifying and Authenticating. Basically, facial recognition is well-defined software that uses relevant facial points of a person and compares it to the stored digital image. The aim is to replace and compare the real-time picture of a person using its most relevant facial features depending upon various factors like Lights, the movement, the expressions and the distance from the camera. For example, in the case of Gradients, the pixels are compared between the digital stored picture and the real-time picture with a representation of pixels brightness around the crucial points. This makes the recognition process easier even in low light.

Then comes the approach of Depth, using technologies like 2D or 3D model, systems are more clear about the symmetry and distinguish the characteristics from a flat and static image. Hence, the well oriented and in-depth authentication proceeds followed by the algorithm sets that encode the face, match it and distinguish the characteristics and patterns of both the images and provide the most accurate results.

With the launch of Apple iPhones X and its successors, facial recognition system has paved its way to common people by making it mainstream. The way Apple says it, “Your face is your secure Password” because it’s the easiest and safest way to authenticate your device especially with Apple making a claim that the new devices iPhone Xs and Xs Max can neither be fooled by a selfie or a video of a person nor by a sleeping person to prevent further spoofing.

It’s impact on various sectors

Apple might have been the reason to make this technology so effortlessly available to common people in a day-to-day life; however, the Facial Recognition technology has not only to be embraced but also been utilized on a higher level in every sector. The facial recognition technology has an undeniable tight grasp when it comes to the biometrics authentication system compared to its predecessors like fingerprint, IRIS sensors and Voice Recognition being the most natural and secure method. As claimed by Apple, there is 1 in 50,000 chance of identity or duplicate theft with fingerprint, but 1 in a 1,000,000 chance to duplicate the facial features and cone the Biometric Facial Recognition system.

Financial Institutes

From digital payments to opening an account or authenticating at Bank to access the account just by a smile on the face is no longer a dream and highly accepted approach by the majors like CiTi Banks, Lloyd Banking Group Inc, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group to Commonwealth Bank. According to a report by, “Biometrics for Banking: Market & Technology Analysis, Adoption Strategies and Forecasts 2018-2023 – Second Edition” it’s predicted that by the end of the year 2020, approximately 1.9 Billion Bank customers will be using Biometrics. Banking is the major contributor to the Biometrics industry and estimated to make revenue of $4.8 billion by 2023 by Google Intelligence’s report.

Educational Sectors

When it comes to making the development by siding with the latest technology, schools, colleges and Institutes are no longer behind. Every day passing by, the education sector is also adopting this new technology in a more mainstream way to personalize the students’ identities, health records, and interest level. Educational sector has not only restricted the system to the authentication purpose but is also taking it up by a notch through mapping of the face to develop an idea of engagement level of a student on various subjects.

Health Sector

Healthcare professionals and patients tend to spend a lot of energy and money behind keeping the track of patients’ records, insurance, and retrieval of patients. This valuable time can rather be spent on people in the emergency situation, there comes the facial recognition in the picture. Patients’ health records are sensitive and to keep those records safe and in check is a crucial task which can be achieved easily with the Biometrics Facial Recognition. Not only it provides the sleek solution to the health records system, but it also saves the time to serve other patients in need in the meanwhile. The global healthcare biometrics market size was valued at USD 2.1 billion in 2016 and is expected to witness a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth rate) of 24.2% over the forecast period.

How is it different than other Biometrics Authentication System?

Biometric Identification can be categorized into two parts: Physiological Identification and Behavioural Identification.

Every human possesses unique physical attributes like DNA, Facial Features, Retina, ear measurements and Fingerprints which falls into Physiological categories and impossible to duplicate or imitate. These are the most consistent attributes of a human body and cannot be replicated.

Behavioral Identification comes in the picture when it’s measured when a person is performing a task, doing a signature, voice recognition, Keystroke dynamic as it emphasizes on an individual’s personality, traits and behavioral aspects making it a non-invasive process, best suitable for public surveillance.

The implementation of the biometrics authentication affects the modality it is going to use. First level access control can be achieved by single modality i.e. fingerprint, IRIS, or face recognition. However, where the security is the primary concern, multimodal techniques can be perceived i.e. any combination of IRIS, Face recognition, Fingerprint.

One of the most highly efficient biometrics authentication involved Retina Scanning or Retinal Recognition which uses a person’s unique blood vessel patterns in an individual’s eyes as a measure of identification. It calculates the mathematical mapping of one’s blood vessel in the Retina. Even though it is more reliable than other methods, this technology is shrinking and being outnumbered by Facial recognition as the later has been more mainstream lately and with its easy deployment. In spite of higher reliability rate of Retinal Recognition, the facial recognition is taking over because unlike Retinal Recognition, it does not require a close encounter with the device and because of its lower rate of acceptability by the market.

Another popular method is Fingerprint scanning more suitable for the first level, personalized and with consent authentication. The method has been a bang for the buck as it’s used at almost from a small business employee attendance to company’s employee records and payrolls. It’s definitely more unique than the face recognition as every individual has a unique fingerprint and cannot be duplicated or be similar to a twin. Any first tier access level control can be accessed by fingerprint system making it the in-demand authentication method of all.

Concerns

Biometrics Technology has left its marks on the world and our day-to-day life by doing something that was considered almost unachievable a few years ago. Authentication got to a whole new level because of the significant contribution of Biometrics Industry. People got more safe & secure authentication and identification system, got rid of unnecessary cards, PINs and passwords to a newer approach of faster and more reliable, robust technology. However, no technology is completely unbeatable, especially when it’s new; it tends to be more vulnerable.

The major concern that lies here is the identity theft or stealing the Biometrics data stored on the server as one’s biometrics are unique and irreplaceable attributes. Universally accepted Biometrics Authentication still raises the risk of data theft and privacy concerns. As news broke of spoofing Samsung S8’s IRIS sensor and hackers were able to do it just by using the picture of an eye and contact lenses. According to a report, Wired Magazine spent thousands of dollars and highly skilled biometrics hackers to break the security of Iphone X and was unsuccessful.

While announcing the launch of iPhone Xs and XsMax, the Apple CEO, assured the consumers that the upcoming models are safer and highly secured that it cannot be accessed by a simple picture or a selfie, but also resists authorization when the phone is tried to be unlocked while a person is sleeping. Also, they made it clear that the biometrics of an individual will not leave his phone and will not be stored on any of the servers of the system making it impregnable. However, just like any other technology, facial recognition is also not completely immune to the potential attack on it and it’s just a matter of time when hackers will be able to achieve so with the continuous game of cat-and-mouse between the developers and the hackers.

Also, “Your face is your password’ as tempting as it sounds, might not prove to be the best thing because it’s your password that everyone is aware of, putting your own security on stakes. The traditional passwords might be easy to track down or duplicate but at least they won’t put a person’s entire existence in arms of danger. Data violation or theft of someone’s biometrics put the entire concept of authentication and identification in jeopardy. Biometrics systems are undoubtedly getting more sophisticated, but so are the hacks and the attacks. Not only, biometrics is more prone to hacking, it also comes with more repercussions than password because they are not revocable. Once a person’s biometrics is stolen or hacked, the person’s entire identity, life is stolen, they can be used for criminal uses or falsify the government data.

As of now, it would be safe to go with multimodalities in order to make the system more immune to potential risk against it. Any combination of biometrics authentication system with complicated passwords can be more efficient rather than just depending on a single entity. Two-factor authentication is the most suitable option for us to adopt and make the grip of security tighter.

Conclusion: Facial Recognition

According to Global Market Analysis, Facial recognition system revenue is estimated to hit the revenue of $888.2 Billion by the year 2024, expecting the growth of 36.07% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate). What drives this rate is its popularity among the consumer market as well as the sectors like Banking, Health, Law and Education. With this high rate, the facial recognition is leaving no stone unturned with its innovative and ground-breaking discoveries made every day in this field. Providing lucrative opportunities, the future of facial recognition system looks certainly bright with respect to funding and public interest.

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]]>https://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/facial-recognition-biometrics-identification/feed/1How to Get Profits with Vehicle Tracking Softwarehttps://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/vehicle-tracking-software/
https://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/vehicle-tracking-software/#commentsThu, 03 Jan 2019 08:18:50 +0000https://apiumhub.com/?p=61631Are you into fleet business? Or, Are you looking for ways to track your vehicle? If Yes, Then we’ve got you covered. […]

]]>Are you into fleet business? Or, Are you looking for ways to track your vehicle? If Yes, Then we’ve got you covered. If you manage a fleet of vehicles then you probably know that Vehicle Tracking software improves the productivity of your employees and fleet with the end result of improving your customer service and profit margin. You may question the authenticity of such a statement but many companies across the world have deployed Vehicle Tracking software as an integral tool in their operations.

Fleet Tracking by means of GPS and other related sensors enables organizations to monitor their assets and workers, permitting more noteworthy effectiveness and responsibility. Transportation and government organizations are as of now utilizing GPS trackers for fleet and field administration to create extraordinary impact in managing their fleet for better convenience and customer satisfaction, yet numerous different industries can profit by this technology. GPS technology was first used by the American defense to spy on their enemies. When the various beneficial applications of this technology were discovered, the production and use of GPS -based commercial vehicle tracking systems was started. Soon GPS tracking devices were increasingly being used for various applications, from employee monitoring to vehicle surveillance, as well as:

To improve customer service and keep them informed about the complete delivery journey.

Better operations and increasing fleet and resource productivity

Monitor driver behavior and reduce on compliance issues.

Track, monitor and manage their fleet and field resources

Keep a check on expenses related to maintenance and fuel

Monitor temperature and follow compliance

Fleet tracking systems integrate the new technology and not only protect vehicles from theft but also give access to reports and data useful to logistics and transportation companies. They have also proven to be a much better guide for directions to any place from anywhere in the world.

The GPS trackers can be attached anywhere inside the car or connected to an OBDII diagnostic port depending on the model of the car and brand of the tracker. Either way, the device requires a monthly subscription of any cellular network to allow it to send and receive data to another device such as a computer, laptop, tablet or a smartphone. Users can view the position of the vehicle in real-time and can also view other key indicators on the car such as the speed and distance traveled. Some devices send reminders on maintenance and can read engine trouble codes thus increasing their functionality.

Efficient ways to streamline a fleet management system with a robust telematics solution

The workflow of the entire transportation industry depends on several aspects such as fluctuating cost of fuel, government regulatory policies, increasing insurance cost, mounting workload etc. Sometimes, due to the lack of proper maintenance of the vehicles, the transportation industry faces productivity issues. With the efficient help of some potent telematics solutions, getting rid of such obstacles becomes easier. Moreover, they make sure to maximize the profit margin, increase the visibility into all the core working areas, and diminish the overall operation cost by deploying a dedicated system for the fleet management.

Here are some of the benefits that one can avail by deploying an efficient Vehicle Tracking Software in their business

1.Automated Scheduling

When it comes to the point of long-term and advance scheduling of resources, nothing can really beat the outcome that becomes possible to carry out using a potent and robust telematics solution. Putting the drivers on the roster, controlling the break times, diminishing the cycle times and boosting the overall efficiency becomes remarkably smoother.

2.Cost Management

A compelling telematic solution is capable of deciphering the cost patterns for the complete fleet or for a vehicle. Thus, the management can easily take decisions on the resource allocation along with the cost control. For the transporters and the fleet operators, fleet management solutions are not mere tools for scheduling but effective management modules as well that can offer the businesses a sheer competitive edge.

Managing the entire lifecycle of the fleet becomes smoother through proper procurement, planning, usage. Fleet management systems integrate with the Account Payables, General Ledger and Receivables which wipes out the human error along with redundant work. This definitely improves the efficiency of the entire fleet management system.

5.Enhanced Asset Performance

When you can properly monitor the different vehicle performances, optimizing the asset usage becomes effortless. Sometimes, due to the lack of proper maintenance of the vehicles, the transportation industry faces productivity issues. However, using an efficient fleet tracking system in the fleet management diminishes such overheads and repair expenses, reducing labor costs of mechanics, technicians, drivers becomes possible.

The commercial GPS tracking industry is rapidly growing, and many new companies are entering the market, making it tough for companies that desire this service to find the right partner.

How different industries can benefit from Vehicle Tracking software

Courier / Delivery Services

Organizations with a substantial fleet need to monitor each vehicle and each driver constantly. Previously, a substantial level of trust, phone calls, and radio correspondence had all been utilized to carry out this activity; however GPS tracking is a considerably more compelling solution. At last mile dispatch and courier companies, following up with each and every consignment is now practically possible, empowering customers to screen their goods status on the complete journey. This is invigorated at whatever point an alteration in the package’s circumstance in the transport cycle happens, and you can screen it on your website. With GPS following set up, everyone included knows exactly where their package is in its outing from the central orchestrating office to your portal.

Logistics

Number of vehicles to be monitored is very high in some companies and it is impossible to have a bird’s eye view by an individual or a team & you have to simply rely on the driver to complete his job or trip, so it all comes down to incidents, which is when the machine or fleet management software comes to the picture. Constant 24/7 monitoring lets the admin or dispatcher receive emails or alerts on his mobile which he would have set up earlier based on a huge list of vehicle tracking features. This enables the dispatcher to immediately follow up with the driver and take necessary action.

Construction

Construction firms pay a lot of money for their equipment. GPS trackers can help them recover their assets in the event of a robbery. Instant alerts can be set to alert the fleet manager, thereby avoiding the theft in the first place.

GPS following in vehicles can guarantee drivers are conveying loads, starting with one site then onto the next &are not sitting around idle or taking dangerous courses. Knowing the observation one can furnish workers with abundant inspiration to limit sitting idle and comply with the best possible regulations. Furthermore, tracking can provide precise information of the hours a vehicle has been utilized for. Some construction firms have even resorted to wearable GPS tech for their singular specialists on location, to evaluate their exercises all through their day of work and recognize any execution related issues that may emerge.

Public Transportation

Transport trucks, trains, and taxis have a strict schedule to stick to. People design their days and exercises around open transportation, and if there are any disturbances, their own particular schedules are influenced – seriously& many times on a regular basis.

Fleet management software empowers organizations to remain associated with their drivers and can inform the clients of any potential defers well early. An ever-increasing number of taxi firms like Uber, Lyft & more are discharging their own applications, making a more helpful administration for clients and killing the need to contact the administrator for a report on their vehicle’s area or location.

Thus, having a powerful and dynamic fleet tracking solution can enhance the productivity of your business by giving you more control & making the system transparent.

]]>https://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/vehicle-tracking-software/feed/1Marketing intern based in Barcelona, join our team!https://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/marketing-internship-barcelona/
Wed, 02 Jan 2019 03:52:45 +0000http://apiumhub.com/?p=920We are looking for a marketing intern in Barcelona Apiumhub is looking for a passionate marketing intern in Barcelona to […]

Apiumhub is looking for a passionate marketing intern in Barcelona to join our Sales and Marketing team. We want creative people with a “getting things done” attitude. You will be working with the team to come up with new ideas to develop our marketing strategy. Networking and analytics skills are highly valued as you will work on action plans to achieve our common goals.

This is a great opportunity for a Marketing intern in Barcelona to get work with a fast growing and successful tech company.

WHAT YOU HAVE

Passion about marketing & sales

Excellent oral & written communication skills

Email marketing

SEO knowledge: on page & off page

Professional level of English

Spanish Native or bilingual, Catalan is a plus

Basic knowledge of video creation, youtube channel

Photoshop

WordPress knowledge

Blogging

Creativity

CRM

Influencers experience

Negotiation skills

Organization of events

Knowledge about conversion rate optimization

WORKING PLACES

]]>Top 5 RegTech startups to watch in 2019https://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/regtech-startups/
https://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/regtech-startups/#respondTue, 01 Jan 2019 08:15:39 +0000https://apiumhub.com/?p=61621More and more companies and governments put a focus on managing risk, complying with stricter rules and regulations. More and […]

]]>More and more companies and governments put a focus on managing risk, complying with stricter rules and regulations. More and more Regtech startups are born out of this combination of regulatory change and more efficient technology.

RegTech is basically the use of new technology to facilitate the delivery of regulatory requirements. It puts a particular focus on regulatory monitoring, reporting, and compliance and is thus benefiting the finance industry. The objective of RegTech is to enhance transparency as well as consistency and to standardize regulatory processes. The ecosystem is currently exploding. Dozens of RegTech startups have popped up in the past years and today I would like to look at the most promising ones:

Top 5 RegTech startups to watch in 2019

NetGuardians is an award-winning Swiss RegTech company that helps financial institutions to fight financial crime. The startup developed the first augmented intelligence solution made for banks to proactively prevent fraud.

Apiax builds a powerful toolset to master complex financial regulations digitally. They build a comprehensive RegTech solution to transform complex regulations into digital regulatory rules and to manage the full lifecycle of digital regulations. You can use Apiax’ technology for anything from cross-border compliance to digital wealth management and investment services.

Trulioo claims to be global leaders in electronic I.D. verification. The firm uses data analysis and open APIs to enable instant verification of identities and addresses. Trulioo collects data from social networks, credit files, government records, and mobile apps. By making sure they serve legitimate customers, financial organizations protect themselves against fraud. The service currently operates in 400 countries and has received a total investment of $23 million. The company’s main concern is to re-establish trust in the financial sector.

ClauseMatch enables companies to collate and edit files, emails, and documents on a single platform. It also helps these companies keep an audit trail of any changes made to their records. ClauseMatch is an award-winning London-based financial technology company that provides a software-as-a-service platform for smart document management.

If you know other RegTech startups and you think they deserve to be on this list, feel free to mention them in the comments section below!

]]>Superman is the most powerful Marvel superhero without any doubt. Ability to fly, X-rays, strength, invincibility … there were some other characteristics that defined him when it comes to saving other people’s’ lives. In the software development industry, there is a person that we could very easily compare with Superman – Agile Product Owner or simply Unbreakable Product Owner (P.O).

Unbreakable Product Owner

P.O is in contact with all those stakeholders involved in the development of a digital product; investors, development team, Marketing, final client, etc. But, having it clear with whom a good P.O has to have contact is not enough, it is important to understand the value of having one in a team and value for the final client. What do I mean by that is maximizing the potential of the features that best meet the needs of a final client.

To build and develop a digital product that meets 100% the needs of a client, we must first have a clear idea of it. What are those features or characteristics that are going to be part of the final product? Well, that’s what P.O has to identify with the final client and it’s not that easy as it may sound. PO is responsible for being the “eyes” of the client when dealing with the development team and vice versa, transmitting what is possible to develop or what should be rethought, explaining everything in an understandable way.

Both the final customer who will use the digital product and the P.O have to be able to answer a simple question: What is the difference between our product and the one of our competition? Why should I choose our product instead of the one of the competition. To answer this question the Product Owner must always think of a customer as a priority number 1. It is useless to answer the question with your knowledge, you have to be able to put yourself in the shoes of your final client and understand what this digital product brings to the market or to a particular client. Also, it is important to understand that the best software development is the one that is scalable, powerful and that works without any pause.

Many points of view – Same rules of the game

There are different definitions for each of the departments that participate in the development of a digital product.

A good P.O must be in charge of aligning all points of view given certain situations, get everyone together and make a group of people work as a team. The concept and definition of value, quality, a definition of done, etc are different for each of the departments that make up an organization.

Avoiding being a stumbling block or a bottleneck so that information flows between teams. And the final product is not affected.

However, often a PO must take a decision that may change the project or even mark the product with respect to succeeding or failing probabilities. The vast majority of P.Os have already a previous experience that allows them not to foresee the future or know what is the best way to take, but the ability to make a better estimation of the possibilities that can occur and act against them.

A good P.O must always have a correct mindset that allows him to act in the best way in those situations. Defining clear objectives and removing uncertainties to achieve the objectives on time, defining a realistic scope and deadlines.

There are different tools to facilitate that decision making. Canvas, Trello … are some of them.

Stakeholders. Mindset for every occasion

Stakeholders usually have little technical knowledge. Am Unbreakable Product Owner must be able to communicate with clarity and transparency each of the processes. P.O should know how to deal with delays, bugs, estimations, etc. P.O is responsible for correcting the situation and communicating it with stakeholders.

Development team

Set a direction. A team needs a clear scope and defined objectives, without uncertainties. A good PO has to define sprints that have a purpose, where each user story is detailed, has acceptance criteria and, if possible, that the delivery has a positive impact on the final product – making it a better product. This helps the team of developers see that everything they are doing makes sense and impact.

Marketing and sales

Marketing and sales has information that is key to a PO, especially when working for small startups. They have a lot of information that POs can not be aware of (fashion, competition, trends, concerns of target audience, social networking phenomena or products that are triumphing that could be complementary to the product we are developing)
A P.O has to collaborate with Marketing, since it has to react to the market every week and gather more key information for the development of a digital product.

Final customer

This is possibly the most fundamental part of the development process. We talk about functionality, design, detail … always keeping the final client in mind, sharing the purpose of the project for better management and results.

P.O bases the largest set of daily activities on a set of common goals. At the end of the day, P.O is a glue between teams and always maintains a flow of continuous communication between the team and the stakeholders.

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